Recent media reports suggest that Tottenham Hotspur, along with North London rivals Arsenal, could be interested in signing Manchester United centre-back Eric Bailly during the winter transfer window.

Spurs could have a march on their neighbours as they could tempt United into a deal with them as they could offer Man Utd experienced defender Toby Alderweireld in return, he’s a player that Man United have been linked with for a long time now.

A swap deal involving the two central defenders could be the right one for all involved.

Bailly, like most of his Red Devils teammates, has had a bit of a ropey start to the Premier League season. The Ivorian has since been dropped by Jose Mourinho. On top of that, rumours circulated that the two had had a falling out last season.

If the United manager no longer trusts Bailly then it’s probably for the best that the defender leaves Old Trafford.

For me, the former Villarreal man is still Man United’s best central defender. He’s got pace to burn, is smart enough to spot key interceptions and he’s good at coming away with the ball from defensive areas and dribbling forward. In his four appearances thus far this season, Eric has a passing success rate of over 90%.

I think injuries and the lack of a stable playing partner has seen him stall a bit at United. I think if he was playing alongside consistent teammates and an experienced head then he’d start progressing again. He could have that reliable partner in Jan Vertonghen at Spurs.

At twenty-four years of age, Bailly is still able to learn and that’s always a big plus for Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino.

In Toby Alderweireld, United would be getting an experienced no-nonsense defender that can be reliable in the English top flight and Mourinho has been crying out for such a talent all summer.

On average, Toby has made two tackles per game so far this term. He’s another central defender that’s happy with the ball at his feet and who’s able to pass it from the backline. The Belgian is good at getting in the way and making vital clearances, during the league campaign last term he averaged 3.6 clearances.

The twenty-nine year old will be available for just £25m next summer, if Tottenham trigger his automatic contract extension.

So it could make sense for The Lilywhites to talk about a swap deal involving Bailly, as £25m in the current market probably won’t get you an instant replacement next summer for Alderweireld.

United are no stranger to a player exchange deal, last January they essentially did a swap with Arsenal which saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan head South and Alexis Sanchez head in the opposite direction. It’s a transfer which saves you money in a fee and that allows you to get rid of a player not in your first team plans.

I think a move that would see Toby Alderweireld and Eric Bailly swapping sides could really make sense and improve each side as they look to solidify their defensive foundations for the future.

 

Posted on September 17th, 2018 by scott
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